Toy



Jan. 8, 1929.

A. E. MOORHEAD TOY Original Filed March 13. 1922 INVENTOR. W/T f IAliffiTL-YMWF/ifflfl 4- ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 8, 1122;?

teases ans i r ALBERT E. MGOEHEAD, OF OAKLAI'ED, CALIFGEIJLIA, AESIGNOR0F ONE-FOURTH T0 ROBERT DA'LZEEL, OF 0.

LAND, CALIFQENIA.

TOY.

Application filed March 1a, 1922, semi-.1 is. 543,334.

This invention relates to amusement devices and especially to apparatusaffording means for playing games.

The present invention is an improvement upon the general type ofapparatus disclosed in my application Serial No. {528,721, filed January12, 1922. In that appllcatlon I disclosed a barrier including a seriesof independent and spaced resilient tensioned elements whereby to recoilan object thrown against the barrier. I

An object of my present invention isrto provide an improved barrierconsisting of means which will preventthe climbing of the thrown object,especially a ball, over or through the barrier. Particularly an objectis to provide a barrier which will intercept the thrown or played objectand will return the same opposite to the direction from which it came.

Another object is to provide a simple. 11161;. pensive and substantialtoy wherewith there may be played a variety of games.

Another object is to provide a toy which can be assembled into extendedfront stop and back stop forming means and the elements of which can becompactly folded to be conveniently stored in'a box or receptacle ofsuitable dimensions.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be made manifest in the followingdescription of the preferred form of the invention, which is illustratedin the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. Itis to be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention tothe embodiment shown by the said drawings and description, as variationsmay be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in theclaims.

Figure l is a front elevation of the part of the toy which may be calledthe back stop.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. 1

Fig. 8 is a. plan view of the front stop located at the players station.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the front stop showing the escape aperturestherein.

In its illustrated form the invention includes a pair of spaced supports2 projecting up from one corner of each of which is a post or column 3which is shown in Fig. 1 as having a brace 4, though this may beeliminated, if desired. To secure the desired stable. This may also besecured Renewed May 24, 1928 weight the base 2 of a support is providedwith parts of suitable ornamentation, as at 5; this being for thepurpose of obtaining sui'licientweight to render the supports byextending rearwardly a foot portion, as at 6, Fig. 2.

Means are provided for rigidly connecting and spacing the distance andthis means includes preferably a top rail 7 which may be'in the form ofa wooden or metal rod of requisite strength passing through apertures inthe upper ends of the posts 3 and may be secured, as by a set ofclamping means shown, as a screw 8.

A preferred form of recoil means consists of a flexible barrier whichmay consist of continuous sheet or a continuous strip of material, asfor instance, a net 10. To secure the desired results I find that thecorners of the net should be connected, to the posts3 by resilient meanssuch as rubber bands or elastic cords 11. This results in tensioninthe-top and the bottom stretches of the net to a. degree greater thanthe intermediate portion of the net from top to bottom so that when anobject, as a ball is thrown against the net, it will impinge the netabove the bottom tensioning means 11 and flex the net rearwardly, theconcavity formed beneath the top.tensioned Stretch forming a valley fromwhich the ball cannot roll over the'top of the net. If desired, the endsof the net intermediate the corners may be connected to the posts byresilient cords or other means 11, having less degree of tension thanthe top and bottom tensioning members 11, when the supports oranchors 2are moved and held apart to tension the resilient supporting means. p

From this it will be seen that any spherical object rolled against thenet will be caught and thrown back toward the playing station. i

To provide for the playing ofa different type game, such for instance asshuflle board, in which there is utilized a disc D of suitable height,diameter and material, additional means are employed for returning thedisc. Then this disc is used in a. game played with the apparatus abovedescribed, it will be intercepted as it slides along the plane surface,upon which the barrier is erected, by a resilient and tensioned memberas a cord 12 connected at its ends to the posts by strips supports aparta suitable,

engaged by the bottom of 12 of rubber or other suitable resilientmaterial. To prevent the interference by the net with the game ofshuiileboard, I provide a hook 13 which can be shifted, as for instancealong the top spacing rod or bar toward the middle of the'same and ilower stretch of the net can be pulled upw: 'dly and the heel; 13 sothat the not entirely clears the shuttle disc D.

A further feature of the invention involves a front stop or guardagainst which the recoiled objects may strike. This guard also may beutilized to provide for the playing of another type of game; as forinstance the front stop or guard may comprise a set of connected woodenor other slats'15, the contiguous ends of which may be hinged at 16,

so that the slats can be folded upon one another so as to beconvenientlypaclred in a suitable box or case. T he outline of the frontstop may be of any desired form and is shown as including anintermediate or central piece from the ends of which extend connectedoblique adjustable front and side wings. The slats 15 of the front stopnay be of suitable height to permit the provision of escape apertures 15of 7 suitable number and if, during the playing of a game, the thrownobject, whenrecoiled by the barrier 10, passes through one of the escapeapertures 15, this maybe considered to count for suitable number ofpoints in a game. If the ball, for instance, passes through theapertures 15 of the central portion of the front stop, this night countfor five points, while if the ball passes through the side slats, thismight count for ten points.

The apparatus provides an especially amusing device for young childrenwho may take aposition at one side ofthe front stop and throw a ball orother object toward the barrier 10 and this, when recoiling, mayinipinge anysuitable objects as pins P, set up between the front stationand the back station. will be seen that the player is in a position topick up the recoiled ball without getting up and going after the ball asis the case in ordinary games of ten-pins set up on a floor or otherplane horizontal surface. It also provides for the setting up of thepins or objects P without leaving the playing'position. I

The front stop 15 is provided, at approximately the height of thecenters of the balls, with rubber or other cushioning strips 17, whichreduce the noise of impact and cause the balls to recoil from the frontstop.

I claim 1. A. toy including portable, stableibases, a shee -like.barrier disposed in upright position between saidbases, and resilientelastic element-s connecting the bases to said barrier he upper andlower edges of the barrier and intermediate said upper and lower edges.

2. A toy including portable, stable bases, a sheet-like barrier held intensioned upright condition by said bases, and means for holdthebase/sin various'spaced. positions said means including a roda-djustably clamped in the bases.

V 3. A toy including portable, stable bases, a sheet-likebarrier held:in tensioni-id uprig it condition by said bases, means for holding thebases in various spaced positions; sz' means including a roda-djust'abl-y clamped in the b; ses, and a devico engaging the rod andengageable with the upwardly pulled barrier, so as to provide clearancefor an object in one of the games played. with the toy.

4. A toy including portable, stable bases, a sheet-like barrier held intensioned upright condition by said bases, means for holding the basesin various spaced positions; said means including a rod adjustablyclamped in the bases, a device engaging the rod and engageable. with theupwardly pulled barrier,

so as to provide clearance for an object in one of the games played withthe toy, and means for recollmg the last mentioned ob1ect while the saidbarrier is lifted. I i

5. In a toy, a resilient barrier adapted to be set up on a plane surfaceto reboundan object travelling over the surface and a hinged front stopto engage an object rebounding from the barrier.

6, A toy by which a variety of games mayv be played, and including. asheet-like, tensioned barrier for reooiling a rolling object, and atensioned strip below thebarrier for recoiling a sliding object. I V

7. A toy including port-able anchors, a net disposed vertically betweensaid anchors and tensioned elastic resilient means connecting the upperand lower corners of the net with said anchors. p

8. A toy including portable anchors, a net disposed between saidanchors, tensioned resilient means connecting the corners of the netwith said anchors'and a tensioned resilient line barrier arranged belowsaid net.

In testimony whereof, 1 have; hereunto set my hand.

